Much of the energy used by a typical industrial compressor for compressing a compressible media, such as an air, is converted into heat.
Typically, the waste heat is removed by a compressor heat exchanger (i.e. inter-cooler or after-cooler). The compressor heat exchanger is typically water or air cooled. The waste heat is typically rejected to a suitable heat sink such as a cooling tower, a cold water source (e.g. local water body for direct cooling), or to the outside air. Otherwise, the waste heat may be used in applications including process use, indoor space heating, pre-heating boiler water and so forth.
Plants requiring a source of a compressed media may also require a source of chilled coolant (such as water or glycol). For example, compressed air and chilled coolant is used extensively in the production of thermoplastic bottles (e.g. the processes of: injection molding, extrusion molding, or blow-molding, etc.). Other examples may include metal working, die casting, chemical processing, pharmaceutical formulation, food and beverage processing, power supply and power generation stations, analytical equipment, semi-conductor production, to name just a few.
The power requirements, such as electricity, for operating both compressors and vapor-compression-type chillers are typically very high. Plant operators stand to benefit enormously if the costs of operating their process equipment could be reduced.